[How To] Disable Thumbnail Preview In Windows 8

This article will show you how to enable or disable thumbnail preview pane for folder items in File Explorer of Windows 8 or later using REGEDIT or GPEDIT.

In Windows 8, we’re already aware with the preview pane of folders. Sometimes it happens with us that we don’t want to display preview pane due to security reasons. Consider the following window, in which the preview pane is enable by default.

Now in this article, I’ll show you how you can disable the preview pane in folders using simple registry trick or via group policy trick. So without wasting your time anymore, lets share the way…

Disable Thumbnail Preview Using Local Group Policy Editor

3. In the right pane, double click on policy named Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons and you’ll get this:

4. Set following parameters for the display of preview in folders icon:

To Allow Display – Not Configured / Disabled

To Prevent Display – Enabled

Close the Group Policy Editor and get the results. This trick will work on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP as well!

About Kapil Arya

Kapil is presently a Microsoft MVP in Windows IT Pro expertise. He is Windows Insider MVP as well, and author of 'Windows Group Policy Troubleshooting' book. In 2015, Microsoft India accomplished him as 'Windows 10 Champion'. Being passionate Windows blogger, he loves to help others on fixing their system issues.

4 Comments

Your articles are always enjoyful and help me to learn new stuff.. kind for you buddy :)

vishal

this also works..
1. Open Windows Explorer, click on Organize button present in command bar and select “Folder and search options“.
2. Now go to View tab and make sure “Always show icons, never thumbnails” option is not enabled i.e. its disabled.